How to Pick Cherries in Traverse City: Advice From Farmers

From Cherry Capital Airport to the Cherry Festival, Traverse City is famous for its orchards and all the bounty available to eaters. That said, snacking on a fresh, local cherry is a special experience that only happens at the peak of summer. U-Pick is offered by local farmers and allows you to fully engage in this specialty harvest in the place where cherries grow best.

Ready to grab your bucket? Start by reading advice from local cherry producers!

The Cherry U-Pick at Third Coast Fruit Co. is run by the Wunsch family, which has grown cherries on the Old Mission Peninsula for over a century. This year, their cherries will start to become available as early as June 28th, and their U-Pick operation will run for about a month after. 

Hallstedt Homestead, a cherry U-Pick stand just north of Northport, employs four college interns to help families learn the ropes. Here, these employees will walk groups to the trees and explain the basics, as well as provide every tool needed to handpick the best of the bunch. And when there’s good picking, families end up with a bountiful harvest. The Hallstedts have a cookbook for bacon-covered cherries, cherry pie, and more. 

Tips from Your Farmer

Isaiah Wunsch, the farmer at Third Coast Fruit Co., recommends that folks looking for a great U-Pick experience should plan for a morning visit, when the cherries are enjoying a slightly cooler temperature (as well as those picking!) He advises against taking your picks directly to the beach from the stand, unless you’ve brought a cooler to place them in. Cherries don’t enjoy sitting in a hot car as much as the next person, and keeping it chill is the way to truly enjoy local fruit. 

Sarah Hallstedt, the proprietor of Hallstedt Homestead, says her biggest advice is to stay in the loop. Call ahead or check social media pages before arriving, because the weather plays a huge part in local agriculture. Not only can rain take out an entire variety of cherries overnight, but the only time the U-Pick stand isn’t open is during a storm. 

Now that you have advice from our local farmers, what are you waiting for? Take advantage of this delicious season and head to the orchards with the entire family! 

Facts about your local cherry U-Pick experiences: 

Cherry U-Pick at Third Coast Fruit Co. 

Location: 555 Wilson Rd, Traverse City (Old Mission Peninsula) 

Season: As early as June 28th, and for about four weeks after

Varieties to look for: Early season ‘Black Pearl’, a new variety developed by Cornell, which offers a great balance of taste and texture. Or in the peak season, go for a flavor-forward ‘Ulster’, which Wunsch calls the ‘Red Haven Peach of Cherries.’ 

Hallstedt Homestead 

Location: 8227 N Matheson Rd, Northport (Leelanau Peninsula)

Season: As early as July 10th, and into mid-August

Varieties to look for: ‘Attika’ is a crowd favorite and has perennial fans calling to ask when they’ll be ready for picking. Sarah Hallstedt’s favorite is ‘Sweetheart’, which is available at the end of the season, and grows bountifully when you think all the cherries have been picked.